Multi-compartment container assemblies allowing the user to store multiple components of a formulation in separate, individually sealed containers until ready for use, are known in the art. A cartridge container unit, or a “cartridge unit”, for a multi-compartment container assembly that can be assembled into a single multi-compartment container, is disclosed in pending United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0024830 A1, filed Aug. 6, 2002, herein “the US Patent Application”, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and whose contents are incorporated by reference. The container assembly disclosed in that application consists of two or more assembly units, at least one of which is a cartridge unit and the other may be a second cartridge unit or a dispensing unit.
A dispensing unit may be a container for storing a component of a formulation with a sealable opening at each end of the container body. A dispensing unit may also be a container for storing a component of a formulation having one closed end and a sealable opening at the second end of the container body. The top end of the dispensing unit may be adapted and configured to engage a dispensing device, such as a nozzle or a nipple of a suitable material for a baby feeding dispensing unit, or a dosage device, etc. The bottom end of the dispensing unit may be adapted and configured to engage a cartridge unit in order to assemble a multi-compartment container. The cartridge unit may be adapted and configured to engage the top or bottom ends of the dispensing unit.
Both ends of the dispensing unit may be sealed so that the dispensing unit's contents can be protected from any contamination during storage. But because these seals must be removed in order to assemble the multi-compartment assembly and dispense the contents, the seals are preferably configured to be readily removed or broken, e.g., a breakable or peelable seal. The breakable or peelable seal may comprise a membrane, where the membrane may be a foil or a non-metallic membrane, such as a plastic or other polymer membrane, and may have a single-layer or a multi-layered laminate structure. Such membrane seal may be heat sealed along the rims of the dispensing unit's open ends so that it may be peeled off to engage a cartridge unit or to attach an appropriate dispensing device or system. The seal may further comprise a screw-on or pressure closing cartridge unit.
A cartridge unit is a container for storing a component of the formulation having an opening at each of its top and bottom ends. The top open end of the cartridge unit may be adapted and configured to sealingly engage the top or bottom opening of a dispensing unit, thereby forming a two-compartment container. To form a two-compartment container, the top end of the cartridge unit is inserted into the flange portion of the dispensing unit, whereby each assembly unit forms a separate compartment of the resulting container.
Within the cartridge unit is provided a sealing wall that forms a fluid-tight seal at or near the top open end of the cartridge unit, sealing the top end opening of the cartridge unit. The sealing wall is axially movable, i.e., along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge unit, between a sealed position, whereby the seal is formed, and an unsealed position, whereby the inside of the cartridge unit is in flow-communication with the dispensing unit through the top open end. The sealing wall is coupled to a displaceable member for axially moving the sealing wall between its sealed position and its unsealed position. Thus, the sealing wall cannot extend into and seal another assembly unit attached to the cartridge unit.
These assembly units can be individually sealed so that a component of a formulation may be stored in each of the assembly units. The assembly units can then be assembled readily into a single multi-compartment container by joining an appropriate number of assembly units together. The separate sealable containers may be assembled together readily to form a single multi-compartment container with each of the assembly units forming a separate compartment, so that the components of the formulation can be kept separated until ready to be mixed.
For example, a dispensing unit and a cartridge unit may be assembled together to form a two-compartment container assembly. By piggy-backing one or more cartridge units to the first cartridge unit in series, additional compartments may be added. Each additional cartridge unit may contain a different component of a formulation in any predetermined quantity. Furthermore, a multi-compartment container may be assembled by connecting multiple cartridge units only, without using any dispensing unit. In such an embodiment, a suitable dispensing device may be attached to the top opening of the first cartridge unit, if necessary. The displaceable member has a sealing wall at its top end and a filling opening near its bottom open end, sealable with a membrane seal. Additional cartridge units may be piggy-backed to the bottom end of the displaceable member in series to form a multi-compartment container. In this configuration, the bottom end of the displaceable member of the first cartridge unit is unsealed by removing the sealing membrane while the cartridge unit is held upside down, and the top end of the second cartridge unit engages the open bottom end of the displaceable member of the first cartridge unit to form a fluid-tight seal, so that each cartridge unit may form a compartment of a two-compartment container. When ready to use, the user manipulates the displaceable member of the second cartridge unit to move the sealing wall to its unsealed position, establishing a flow-communication between the two compartments of the two cartridge units and allowing the components of the formulation to mix together.
Many different combinations of dispensing units and cartridge units may be formed to create any number of different multi-compartment assembly containers for storing a variety of formulations, as for example, formulations for human use in the form of a dry powder which are mixed with a liquid to form a liquid formulation shortly before use. Such formulation, for example, may include various nutritive formulas and a variety of drugs, e.g. antibiotics. The shelf life of such mixed dry powder and liquid formulations is limited, and this dictates the need to prepare the formulation only shortly before use. The limited shelf life of the powder and liquid formulation is a result of a loss of activity of an active ingredient in the formula, accelerated oxidation once in solution, etc.
There is a design concern with the prior art multi-compartment assemblies that, in the assembled state and prior to use, the assemblies be hermetically sealed, so as to prevent, over an extended period of time, pre-mature mixing of liquid or liquid vapor of a component in one assembly unit with a component in a second assembly unit. Another design concern with such multi-compartment container assemblies is that the user should be able to readily inspect the component in any of the assembly units in the assembled state just prior to use, in order to verify its useful condition. Yet another concern with many of the multi-compartment container assemblies is the relatively high cost of manufacturing the cartridge unit and assembly units having a similar function.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for and it would be very desirable to have a cartridge unit, which provides a substantially hermetic seal in the assembled state. It would also be desirable for the cartridge unit to be designed so as to allow the user to readily inspect the component in the cartridge unit, prior to use. Preferably, at least a portion of the cartridge unit would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.